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able to make war, numbered at fifty men -he rushes against the enemy. But Michael Laskaris, as was his custom, having put on not a breastplate but a small cuirass, so that he might easily flee, was at the side of the battle and was watching what would happen. So Michael Komnenos, meeting the one who first came against him, strikes him with his spear and throws him from his saddle; and the aforementioned was Theodore, the bastard son of the apostate Michael. So having risen from his fall, this man ran to Michael Komnenos and begged not to be killed. But Komnenos did not know him, and did not understand who he was. So he hands him over to a certain Turk, who killed him. Then the Paphlagonians with him, having engaged with the rest, one struck another, and for the end of the war, those of the apostate Michael looked to flight, but those around Michael Komnenos, having captured more than twenty of the elite alive and having made many others the work of the sword, stood their ground; for being very few they were not able to pursue, as the soldiers who had gone before had been destroyed and dispersed, as we have said. Thus, then, matters turned out unfortunately for them also, just as for those around Prilep. So Michael Komnenos and Michael Laskaris and the leaders around them, being in charge of the army, since they were compelled by us to occupy Prilep and meet with us, they came to us, willing or not. And having remained with us for a few days, since they did not have the power to come together in close combat and fight the apostate Michael, they left us and returned; for they considered the faithlessness of the inhabitants and prudently inferred the doubtful loyalty of those assigned to its guard. So I myself was left behind in Prilep with those assigned to the guard of the city; for thus had the emperor ordered me.

72 So the apostate Michael came against us for the second time, and since he had a truce -for he realized that the imperial forces were unable to fight him in close combat- he surrounded the city with a guard and set up siege engines. But those inside and with us were of his mind. So he made a first attempt, and having armed his entire army, he attacked the city, using skilled archers and slingers. And they brought ladders, so that they might climb up around the city by means of the ladders. But then they were routed and many of them became the work of slaughter, struck by stones and arrows, and for some days they kept quiet. And again those inside and on our side stirred them up, and again a more violent attack upon the city, and the repulse was similar; for they were not able to do anything, having suffered more than they achieved. Up to a third time the terrible foe attacked, and the same things happened equally. So the enemies grew quiet and settled down in peace. For they did not dare to approach; for in approaching they suffered more than they inflicted. So those who were sick with faithlessness thought that in the movement of battle they would accomplish their own wishes; but it would be a wonder to those hearing it, if they were defeated by one man who had no more than forty servants and was emboldened by faith and truth alone. So as those who thought against us were unable to accomplish their plans by battle and tumult, they plotted the terrible deed in quiet; and making a pretext of administering the provisions for the army assigned to the guard of the city, they lead them from the battlements and take them away to the granaries. From the deserted area, then, those who had premeditated this open the gates, and thus the city of Prilep was taken, not by the valor of the enemy, nor by the lack of fortification of the place, but by the foolishness and faithlessness of the guards. And we were captured with it and became prisoners. For the fortress of the acropolis did not help us; for it was a rock and could be taken with a ten-rung ladder, if any came to attack it; in which also

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πολεμῆσαι δυνάμενον, εἰς πεντήκοντα ἄνδρας ἠριθμημένον -κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ὁρμᾷ. ὁ δὲ Λάσκαρις Μιχαήλ, ὡς εἰώθει, οὐ θώρακα ἀλλὰ θωρακίδιον ἐπενδυθείς, ὡς ἂν ἔχοι ῥᾳδίως φεύγειν, ἐκ πλαγίου τῆς μάχης ἦν καὶ ἐσκόπει τὸ γενησόμενον. ὁ μὲν οὖν Κομνηνὸς Μιχαὴλ τῷ πρώτως ἐπερχομένῳ ξυναντήσας βάλλει τῷ δόρατι καὶ ῥίπτει τῆς ἐφεστρίδος· ἦν δὲ ὁ ῥηθεὶς τοῦ ἀποστάτου Μιχαὴλ νόθος υἱὸς ὁ Θεόδωρος. τοῦ πτώματος γοῦν ἀναστὰς οὗτος προσ έδραμε τῷ Κομνηνῷ Μιχαὴλ καὶ ἐδυσώπει μὴ φονευθῆναι. ἠγνόει δὲ τοῦτον ὁ Κομνηνός, καὶ ὅστις ἦν οὐκ ἠπίστατο. παραδίδωσι γοῦν αὐτὸν Τούρκῳ τινί, καὶ ὃς πεφόνευκε τοῦ τον. εἶτα ξυμπλακέντες οἱ Παφλαγόνες οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἄλλος ἄλλον ἔβαλλε, καὶ τὸ τοῦ πολέμου τέλος εἰς τροπὴν μὲν οἱ τοῦ ἀποστάτου Μιχαὴλ ἀπεῖδον, οἱ δ' ἀμφὶ τὸν Κομνηνὸν Μιχαὴλ πλείους ἢ εἴκοσι τῶν ἐγκρίτων ζωγρήσαντες καὶ πολλοὺς ἄλλους ξίφους ἔργον ποιήσαντες ἔστησαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶχον διώκειν πάνυ ὀλίγοι τυγχάνοντες, προδιεφθαρμένων καὶ διαλελυμένων τῶν προαπερχομένων στρατιωτῶν, ὡς εἰρήκειμεν. οὕτω μὲν οὖν καὶ αὐτοῖς δυστυ χῶς ξυνέβη τὰ πράγματα κατ' ἴσον τοῖς περὶ τὸν Πρίλαπον. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Κομνηνὸς Μιχαὴλ καὶ ὁ Λάσκαρις Μιχαὴλ καὶ οἱ ἀμφ' αὐτοὺς ἡγεμόνες τυγχάνοντες τοῦ στρατεύματος, ἐπεὶ παρ' ἡμῶν ἠναγκάζοντο καταλαβεῖν εἰς τὸν Πρίλαπον καὶ ἡμῖν ξυντυχεῖν, ἑκόντες ἄκοντες ἀφίκοντο παρ' ἡμᾶς. καὶ ὀλίγας ἡμέρας προσκαρτερήσαντες μεθ' ἡμῶν, ἐπεὶ μὴ εἶχον δυνάμεως συστάδην ξυνελθεῖν καὶ τὸν ἀποστάτην μαχέσασθαι Μιχαήλ, ἀφέντες ἡμᾶς ὑπέστρεψαν· τήν τε γὰρ ἀπιστίαν τῶν οἰκητόρων διενοήσαντο καὶ τὸ ἀμφίβολον τῶν εἰς φύλαξιν αὐτοῦ τεταγμένων νουνεχῶς ἐτεκμήραντο. ἐν απελείφθην γοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν Πριλάπῳ μετὰ τῶν ὄντων εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν τοῦ ἄστεος· οὕτω καὶ γάρ μοι ὁ κρατῶν προστέταχεν.

72 Ἐπῆλθε γοῦν τὸ δεύτερον καθ' ἡμῶν ὁ ἀποστάτης Μιχαήλ, καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐκεχειρίαν εἶχεν-ἐπέγνω καὶ γὰρ ὡς αἱ βασιλικαὶ δυνάμεις ἀδυνατοῦσι τοῦτον ἀντιστάδην μα χέσασθαι-περιεστοίχισε τὸ ἄστυ φρουρᾷ καὶ ἑλεπόλεις ἵστα. ἦσαν δὲ οἱ ἐντὸς καὶ οἱ σὺν ἡμῖν τὰ αὐτοῦ φρο νοῦντες. πρώτην γοῦν πεποίηκεν ἀπόπειραν, καὶ ὁπλίσας τὸ σύμπαν αὐτοῦ στράτευμα τῷ ἄστει προσέβαλε, τοξόταις καὶ σφενδονίταις εὐστόχοις χρησάμενος. καὶ κλίμακας ἔφε ρον, ὡς ἂν διὰ τῶν κλιμάκων περὶ τὸ ἄστυ ἀναρριχήσαιντο. ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν ἐτράπησαν καὶ πλείους ἐξ αὐτῶν ἔργον φό νου γεγένηνται, λίθοις βεβλημένοι καὶ ὀϊστοῖς, καὶ μέχρι μὲν ἡμερῶν τινῶν ἡσύχασαν. καὶ πάλιν οἱ ἐντὸς καὶ ἡμέτεροι τούτους ἐκίνησαν, καὶ αὖθις προσβολὴ σφοδροτέρα περὶ τὸ ἄστυ, καὶ ἡ ἀπόκρουσις ὁμοία· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠδυνή θησάν τι ποιῆσαι, μᾶλλον πεπονθότες ἢ πράξαντες. μέχρι καὶ τρίτου προσέβαλε τὸ δεινόν, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια ἐπ' ἴσης γεγένηνται. ἠρέμησαν γοῦν οἱ ἐναντίοι καὶ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ προσεφίζανον. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐτόλμων προσεγγίσαι· μᾶλλον καὶ γὰρ ἔπασχον ἐγγίσαντες ἢ ἐποίουν. οἱ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἀπι στίαν νοσοῦντες ἐδόκουν ἐν τῇ κινήσει τῆς μάχης ὡς τὰ ἑαυτῶν βουλήματα κατορθώσαιντο· θαῦμα δὲ ἂν εἴη τοῖς ἀκούουσι, εἰ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς ἥττηντο οὐ πλείους τῶν τεσσαρά κοντα ὑπηρέτας ἔχοντος καὶ μόνῃ τῇ πίστει καὶ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τεθαρρηκότος. ὡς γοῦν ἀδυνάτως εἶχον μάχῃ καὶ κυδοιμῷ τὰ διαβούλια οἱ καθ' ἡμῶν φρονοῦντες τὰ σφῶν κατορθώ σασθαι, ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ μεμελετήκασι τὸ δεινόν· καὶ σκῆψιν ποιησάμενοι τὴν τοῦ εἰς φυλακὴν τοῦ ἄστεος συντεταγμένου στρατεύματος ζωαρκείας χάριν διοίκησιν, ἐξάγουσιν αὐτοὺς τῶν ἐπάλξεων καὶ περὶ τὰ σιτοφυλακεῖα ἀπάγουσιν. ἐξ ἐρήμης γοῦν ἀνοίγουσι τὰς πύλας οἱ ταῦτα προμελετή σαντες, καὶ ἑάλω οὕτω τὸ τοῦ Πριλάπου ἄστυ, οὐ πολε μίων ἀρετῇ, οὐκ ἀνοχυρότητι τόπου, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν φυλάκων ἀβελτηρίᾳ καὶ ἀπιστίᾳ. καὶ ἡμεῖς συνεάλωμεν καὶ δεσμῶ ται γεγόναμεν. οὐδὲ γὰρ ὤνησεν ἡμᾶς τὸ τῆς ἀκροπόλεως φρούριον· πέτρα γὰρ ἦν καὶ ἁλωτὴ δεκαβάθμῳ κλίμακι, εἴπερ ἐπῄεσάν τινες πολεμήσοντες· ἐν ᾗ καὶ